Ball forming machine



June 5, 1934. Q MUNRQ BALL FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24. 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR filaz'ander Cffwp o B Y m K M, ATTEiR/VEYJ June5, 1934. A. c. MUNRO 1,961,239

BALL FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N V E N TORwander 63 171027 9 A TTORNEKS' Patented June 5, 1934 UNITED STATES BALLFORMING MACHINE Alexander 0. Munro, Britannia Beach, British Columbia,Canada Application September 24, 1932, Serial No. 634,739

3 Claims. (01. sc -23) This invention relates to a machine for formingballs or approximately spherical bodies from suitable material such asbars or rails. The invention is particularly intended for forming ballsintended for use in tube or ball mills or similar apparatus and forutilization for such purpose of discarded or worn railroad rails whichhave been brought to suitable shape by rolling or otherwise, but theinvention is applicable to the production of balls from metal bars orrails produced in any suitable manner.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved ballforming machine with means for insuring approximately spherical smoothshape of the finished balls. In ball forming machines operating by theaction of rolls on a bar in such manner that the bar is trans-.

versely scored to gradually increasing depth and is finally out off, anobjection arises that in the final cutting off operation there isgenerally left a rough spot or projection on each side of the ball andthe tendency is for the ball to revolve in the finishing grooves of therolls without rolling out these rough spots. My present inventionprovides means for insuring rolling out of such rough spots to producean approximately smooth finished ball.

A further object of the invention is to provide for positive turning ofthe bar stock entering the rolls so as to insure proper operation of therolls thereon.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the embodiments of my invention,and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ball forming machine provided with myimprovements; the bearings at the feed end of the machine being shown insection and the ball guide at the front side of the rolls being brokenaway;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation taken from the right hand end of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

The machine comprises a pair of rolls, namely, an upper roll 1 and alower roll 2 mounted respectively on shafts 3 and 4: journalled insuitable bearings 5 and 6 on standards 7 and 8 in the usual manner ofmachines of this kind, the bearings being mounted, for example, inguideways in said standards and adjusted by shims 9 and screws 10 so asto provide for adjustment of the distance apart of the rolls and forfirm support of the rolls during the forming operation.

Suitable means are provided for driving the rolls 1 and 2, for example,a driving gear 12 carried by a driving shaft 13, mounted in a fixedbearing and engaging gear wheels 14 and 15 respectively on the shafts 3and 4 of the rolls 1. and 2, so as to operate said rolls in the samerotative direction and at substantially the same rotative velocity.

A guide passage or feed opening 16 is provided in standard 8 for guidingthe stock indicated at 18 into position between the rolls, and guidemeans 19 are provided extending between the standards 5 and 6 andsecured thereto so as to guide the stock or work in its passage betweenthe rolls, these guide means 19 extending in the re-entrant anglebetween the roll surfaces at each side of the axis of the machine, whichis also the axis of the feed passage 16. A delivery passage 20 is formedin the standard '7 leading to a discharge chute 21 for delivering theformed balls to any suitable receiving means.

Each roll, 1 and 2, is formed with a helical rib or flange extendingfrom end to end thereof, said rib forming a series of spacedconvolutions about the body of the roll. In the initial portion of eachroll, this rib, as indicated at 22, is of gradually increasing height,so as to provide a gradual intrusion of the rib into the material of thestock for progressive formation of the balls. At a certain portionthereof, for example, at about midlength of the roll this rib isprovided on one of said convolutions with an enlarged portion 23 orprojection extending around the roll through a minor portion of itscircumference acting as a cut-off or knife for suddenly severing theformed ball. This knife portion may be formed on or secured to theflange or rib in any suitable manner, for example, by welding it ontothe flange. The flange or rib portion 24 succeeding the knife portion 23may be of uniform height as shown, or if desired, may be varied inheight in any suitable manner, the function of these flange portionsbeing to finish and smooth the ball and deliver it to the delivery means20. The flange or rib portions 24 are shown as increasing in pitchtoward the delivery end, but the said flange or rib portions 24 may, ifdesired, be of uniform pitch.

The lateral guides 19 are preferably provided with notches indicated at25 at a portion thereof which is opposite the knife portions on the ribsso that as the rolls rotate the said knife 1015) portions will traversesaid notches in the guide means 19.

My present invention provides in additionto the above describedconstruction, means for insuring turning or twisting of the balls afterthey means 26. The guides 19 are shown as provided.

with notches on the side disposed toward roll 1, in position to permitprojectionz26tce passthrough said notches.

My present invention further comprises. projections 28 on the first turnof each roll 1' and 2 which are suitably formed andtspacedzt'o posi;

tively engage the work or bar stock as the same.

enters between the rolls so as to positively rotate such.- bar. stockvand insureproper operation of. the rolls thereon.. The initial portionsof the rolls-are spaced sufficiently far. apartto enable the. stock.toenter between the rolls and to be engaged. by said. projections.

In the operation of the machine the stock, indicated at- 18 is. fedforwardly through the passage. 16 into. the space. between therollsandis then subjected to aformingoperation. between the adjacentfaces of. the rolls.. As the stock enters .between theroll'stheprojections 28 on the. rolls engage the same. to positively rotate thestock and. insure more effective grip. of. the rolls thereon, it beingunderstoodthat assoonas the.

rolls have begun to score or groovethe stock the.

gripofthe rolls on the stockwilllbe. sufficient to complete theoperation. By reasonof. the. rota-- tion of lthe rolls in the same.rotative. direction.

these adjacent faces of the roll move in opposite.

--linear directions with the result that there. is

relatively little,,if any, lateralforce. exerted. on. the stock; but theflanges or ribs. tend. to score or" groove the. stock on opposite sidesand to rotate the stock. so as to cause circumferential. grooves'to beformed in the stock,.the.spacing ofiithe grooves corresponding to the.spacing. of:

the ribs1on the rolls and'tlie grooves beingprogressivelydeepened as thestock isv fed forwardly. bythe rolls, this feeding, operation being alsoeifected by thehelical flanges or ribs. When. the

work reaches" the portion of. the. rolls occupied.

by the'knife means 23;, it is suddenly and com.- pletely' severed' by,thev operation. of said knife means. I have found that whenit isattempted.

- to twist and cut off the ballswithout the use of. such knife means,thewear. on. the ribs is excessive' apparently by reason of the.increasingly greater peripheral diameter ofi the. ribs. which. causesthe ball-stock to. be. twisted. unduly; before being. severed,. and'.the. provision. of. the

knife means avoids this difficulty. After leaving the knife means theballs are finished in the groove portions of the rolls at the deliveryend' thereof, so as to smooth and finish the ball, the ball beingfinally delivered to the delivery means 20.

The severing of the ball as above described generally leaves a roughspot or projection at each side oftheball where the final severancetakes place but by the operation of the flipper or projection 26, theball is given a partial rotation or twist shortly after the severingoperation by impact of said projection 26 with one side of theball,thereby bringing the said rough spots into position for operation of therolls thereon to-smooth out such rough spots and to form anapproximately smooth finished ball.

I claim:

1. A ball forming machine comprising bearing means, a pair of rollsmounted to rotate on said; bear-ing. means. and having parallel axes,

means for driving each. roll. inthe same rotative direction,. each rollhaving. av helical; rib. formed thereon andincreasing. gradually indepth from. one end of the respective roll. towardsthe other endthereof, and adaptedto form. and sever. balls fromstock. fed betweentherolls, and a projection on: one. ofthe rolls adapted. to engage theformed ballwhensevered to turnthe. ball so. as to cause difierent.portions of the ball. to. come into engagement with the respectiverolls.

2. A ballforming machine comprising bearing meanaa pair ofroll's mountedto rotate. on said.-

bearing meansand. having parallel axes,. said. rolls being spaced apartsufficiently to permit entrance between the rolls of. the stock to beformed intoballs, means for driving. each. rollin thesame rotativedirection,.each rollhaving.

a helicalFrih formed thereon. and increasing gradually in. depth.fromone. end of the respective rolltoward the other endthereof andadaptedto form and sever balls.- from suitable stock fed.

between therolls and; said. rolls. being. provided with project-ions onthe initial portionsof. each.

of the helical ribs on. each r.oll.to positively engage and: rotate thestock.

3;. A. ball forming. machine comprising. bearing; means;v a pair. ofrolls mounted to rotate. on saidv bearing means. and. having...parallel. axes,. means for driving both rolls in the same dire-c--tion,-. each roll having a helical rib-formed. there onand increasinggraduallyin. depth from. one. endofthe. respective roll towardthe otherend thereof,. and. provided withv a knife portion. for.-

severingtherballs, and. aprojection. on one of A the-rollsadapted to.engage the. formed and. severed balls to turn theballso. as to cause.different portions of the balls to. come into engagement with therespective rolls.

ALEXANDER C. MUNRO.

